Passive circulating cell sorting by deformability using a microfluidic gradual filter

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Pathophysiology

Background:

• Cell deformability is a key factor in diseases such as sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
• Assessing cell deformability is vital for understanding disease mechanisms and developing treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel microfluidic method for passive testing, sorting, and separating non-adherent cells based on their deformability.
• To demonstrate the method's capability in analyzing cell stiffness using various treatments and patient samples.

Main Methods:

• A microfluidic device utilizing a series of sieves with progressively decreasing pore sizes.
• Passive cell separation based on deformability without active cell manipulation.
• Application of monocytic cell lines (THP-1) treated with actin-modulating drugs (Jasplakinolide, LatrunculinA) and plasma from ARDS patients.

Main Results:

• The microfluidic method successfully sorts and separates cells based on their deformability.
• Demonstrated efficacy with treated cell lines and clinical samples from ARDS patients.
• The system allows for passive analysis of cell mechanical properties.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic sieving technique offers a viable method for assessing cell deformability.
• This approach has potential applications in diagnosing and understanding diseases like ARDS and sepsis.
• The method's adaptability for hospital settings due to simple sample injection is highlighted.